■ Local governments in several second-tier cities held meetings with major developers around a week ago to discuss ways to boost their slowing real estate markets, but no policy on easing restrictions on the housing sector has yet been formed, unnamed government officials said.

Shanghai Securities News

■ Shanghai stocks edged up on Wednesday after real estate developers and building materials producers rose following media reports that some local governments may ease curbs on home purchases.

■ Chinese banks are facing high risk of non-performing loans in Yangtze River Delta Region as the private sector (especially in steel trading and manufacturing industries) in the region are struggling with economy slowdown.

21st Century Business Herald

Related Quotes

Company Profile

■ An important breakthrough will be made in the 20th round of China-Australia Free Trade Agreement Negotiation, which will be held in Canberra in May. It is likely the last round of negotiation before the agreement is reached, an unnamed authority said.

China Business News

■ Shanghai courts handled 3700 cases involving commercial dispute of steel traders in 2013, five-and-a-half times that of previous year. The risk of steel trading is spreading to the financial sector and even non-bank financing sector, warned a report released by the Shanghai Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Securities Times

■ Hubei Province in central China became the sixth area to launch a carbon market on Wednesday as the country deepens efforts to use market mechanisms to slow a rapid growth in emissions and energy use.

■ Intel Corp launched a $US100 million China fund and will set up an innovation centre in Shenzhen, chief executive Brian Krzanich said on Tuesday.

Shanghai Daily

■ A Shanghai tourist and a Philippine hotel employee were kidnapped by a gang of armed Philippine rebels in a Malaysia hotel on Tuesday night.

■ China-focused private equity and venture capital funds expanded more than eightfold in the year to March as industry sentiment recovered with the resumption of initial public offerings, according to a private report.

■ The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is considering a bid for Pioneer Investments, one of Europe’s biggest money managers, according to a person familiar with the matter.

■ Shanghai will become the second city in the country after Beijing to introduce the China V-emission standards for new vehicles, starting April 30, in a bid to tackle air pollution.

China Daily

■ China may sell debt and is considering other ways to raise funds for combating climate change, an official at the country’s top economic planner said on Tuesday.

■ Yunnan province in south-west China will spend 24.6 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) to upgrade the water quality of nine lakes and their ecological systems this year, top officials said.

People’s Daily

■ Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott agreed to continue to make all-out efforts to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in a phone conversation on Wednesday. Premier Li also said that he believes Mr Abbott’s visit to China next week will inject fresh impetus into the development of bilateral ties.